Wounded
by Jeuel
Summary: With the little strength she had left, she lifted her body off the ground and pressed her earpiece, activating it to communicate with the raven haired man on the other line. "Hey, L." She gasped, feeling the burning pain of her wound. "I'm sorry."
1. Broken One

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata. ****I only own the OC.**

* * *

 _ **1\. BROKEN ONE**_

She gasped, fear engulfing her as she finally realized the consequences of the action she had made. Dropping the gun to the ground with trembling hands, she moved backwards as the blood of the man she once called her father approached her without hesitation; reminding her of her gruesome act.

She continued to slowly back away, dragging her wobbly legs away from the corpse until her back collided with the hard rusty wall. Gasping for air, she began to hyperventilate as she felt the cold fluid touch her toes; terror evident in her tearful eyes.

"What have I done?" She whispered between sobs as she clutched the sides of her head. Weeping, she slowly descended to the floor, not caring if her clothes were making contact with the red liquid beneath her.

The young girl continued to cry; her sobs blending with the sound of the heavy rain pouring outside until she heard something she was quite familiar with, something she heard quite often since she was born in this wretched world. She hurriedly got up and maneuvered her body through the messy room to the nearest window, totally not bothered by the blood she had stepped on. As she approached the window, her eyes widened to saucers as her sight met the yellow and blue striped police vehicles.

 _Shit!_ She mentally cursed as she gradually further herself away from the window, concealing herself from the police outside her house. In search for the gun she dropped, she rushed across the room, stumbling over some wooden chairs which made noises that caught the police's attention.

"Shit! Where is it?! Where's the gun?!" The little brunette shuffled across the room, completely forgetting about dumping the gun near the corpse of her parents. Blood splattered everywhere including her cheek.

Looking around the empty dark room, she once again caught sight of the bloodied bodies of the man and woman she once called her parents, unmoving on the ground and next to them lay the gun she was searching for. She rushed to it and picked it up, readying herself to pull the trigger and end her dear life.

With tearful eyes, she kneeled down next to her mom, caressing her cold cheek with her free hand. She really did loved her mom. She was the only one who treated her like she was worth something; like she was truly her child. She didn't deserve to die such a painful death.

Then her gaze landed at the man next to her mother. He, on the other hand, was a _monster_. He never cared about them; he never loved them. All he did was get drunk, do drugs and continuously hurt the two of them. He deserved to die!

And so does she because she was this bastard's child.

Slowly lifting the gun on her grasp, she pointed it at the side of her skull. "I'm sorry, mom." She whispered as tears continued to stream down her face. "I couldn't keep my promise… I couldn't give you a better life."

" _You're wrong, my dear." Her mother said as she wiped the dirt off her child's face, eyes glowing with adoration. "I don't want you to give me a better life… I want_ you _to live a wonderful life in the future."_

" _But how about you, mommy?"_

 _Her mother smiled and lifted her up in the air. "Then, I'll come live with you in your wonderful life."_

" _Promise?"_

 _She nodded and replied, "I promise."_

"I was wrong." She mumbled as she limply dropped her hand with the gun to her side. "I was _completely_ wrong."

For a couple of seconds, she didn't move from her position as she internalized her mother's words.

When everything finally sank in, she slowly lifted herself up and rushed to the nearest closet. _I need to get out of here._ She concluded as she opened the dusty old cabinet. Picking up the small dirty bag inside the cabinet, she immediately filled it with clothes and a blanket then she hurriedly picked up the gun she left.

"I'll live, mom." She whispered. "I'll live like you told me to."

The young brunette made a dash to the door as quietly as she could and down the stairs. Ignoring the front door, she flew to the rear-end of the house where a backdoor to the narrow alley was waiting. She knew if she pass through the main door, she would immediately be caught by the police and will be brought to an orphanage and will be forced there to wait until another couple would adopt her; and that could take a lifetime.

That's not what she wanted. That's not the life she wanted.

She wanted to be _free_ … and free she will be.

As she unlocked the back door, she heard the main door burst open as the policemen rushed into the house. She twisted the knob and blasted out the crampy old house, leaving not only her dead parents but also the miserable life she once had.

* * *

With swollen eyes and aching feet, she continued to run further away from her house. She didn't know how long or how far she had been running but not once did she stop. She continued on even without a destination in mind because all she wanted was to get as far away as possible from all the chaos her young life had experience and start anew.

Puddles splashed as her feet met the ground, scattering droplets all over her already wet clothes. Since the moment she released the bullet from the gun until she had passed over twenty houses, the rain never stopped; like it was accompanying her in her grief and misery.

Just when she thought her day couldn't get any worse, a flash of lightning struck; scaring the daylights out of her. She shrieked, covering her ears and curling to a nearby column of a gate. Petrified to the ground, she ducked her head and prayed for the lightning to end. She never really liked the lightning since she was younger and definitely not now.

Back when she passed through the backdoor of their house, she never called it a _home_ and she didn't intend to, she already thought about how hard it is for a ten year old girl to actually survive in the big and scary world, more so, _live_ in it. Over an hour had just passed from her escape and here she was, crying alone and being defenseless from the predators this despicable world contained; totally not helping in calming her nerves.

Loosening her grip around her ears, she snuck a peek at the rumbling gray sky when suddenly another harsh lightning flashed from her sight. She whimpered and backed away to the column she was leaning on. Glancing up with panic clear in her eyes, she searched for a nearby abode to take shelter for the mean time. Unfortunately, there was only one house around the area and it was located beyond a huge metallic gate.

"The Wammy's House?" Her azure eyes met with the plate of the mansion posted at the column above her head and contemplated whether to enter the lot without permission or not. She really needed a shade over her head but the thought of breaking and entering an unknown house held her back. _This is totally against the law and if I get caught by the owner, I'll be reported to the police._ She considered, her mind mentally debating the pros and cons when unexpectedly, another lightning bolted out of the sky.

 _Ok! Breaking and entering it is then!_ She mentally shrieked while standing up with jelly legs and making her way to the locked of the gate. The storm continued to brew harder, bring heavier rain drops and fiercer lightning bolts. As she reached the front gate, she took out her bobby pin began picking the lock as stealthy as possible however, little did she know, she was already caught on camera. Once, she heard the clicking of the metal bolt, she slowly opened the gate and entered the land. After quietly closing the gate, she rushed up the stairs of the mansion and took cover under the wide head of the main door.

Huddling at the side of the door, she fished out the blank in her bag and covered herself with it while mumbling, "I'll just make a run for it after the storm subsided." She yawned as her lids gently closed, bringing her to dreamland and away from reality.

After minutes of non-stop rainfall, the front door of the Wammy's House calmly opened and a man with pure white hair took the sight of the sleeping girl. He took notice of how drenched and tired she looked and simply took pity of the young brunette. He slowly moved toward her and kneeled, encircling his arms around her petite body before lifting her up. She didn't even flinch from his grasped, telling him that she was most likely deep in her dreams.

"A young lady, like yourself, should not be sleeping in a place like this or you'll catch a cold." He whispered before entering the house along with the sleeping child in his arms.

* * *

Hearing the sizzling sound of burning wood, the sleeping brunette abruptly woke up from her deep slumber. Realizing that the place she was in was unfamiliar, she immediately bolted up in search for her old bag. With hasty movements, she found her backpack sitting neatly on a wooden table; grabbing it and checking its contents. Everything was inside but one.

 _The gun?! Where's the gun?!_ She shrieked mentally, still searching the inside of her messy bag. _Oh forget it!_ She cursed as she slung her backpack on her shoulder, making her way to the nearest window. As she was about to open her escape route, the door of the room slowly unlocked, revealing an old man wearing a black tuxedo.

In panic, she hastily opened the window; luckily the room she was in was only located on the first floor of the house. Lifting her right feet off the ground and onto the window sill, she readied her body to jump out when suddenly she heard the unexpected.

"Before you go, why don't you first eat something?" She heard the white haired man called out.

Questioning what's on the mind of this man, she faced him with a frown. "Are you serious, old man?" She voiced out with so much distrust. "Who, in their right mind, would offer an unknown stray girl, like me, some food?"

Laughing haughtily, Quillish Wammy ignored the fact that the young girl made a snarky remark. Nodding with a smile, he replied, "You haven't eaten anything yet, right? I bet you must be hungry."

Snaring at the man, she placed her hands on her hips and rejected his offer. "Sorry, old man but I'm not hungry so if you'll excuse, I have somewhere else to be." Of course, that was a lie but what can a young girl do in an unfamiliar place with an unfamiliar man? Turning her back from the owner of the house, she readied herself to jump off the window but once again got interrupted when he heard him coughed, catching her attention.

"Young lady," He called out. "Would you like to use the front door rather than that window?"

Heat crawled up to her neck as she blushed, completely embarrassing herself. Coughing, she answered, "Preferably… yes."

"In that case, why don't you first eat as well? Then, you can go." He offered once more but this time, the young girl did not refused it because once she saw what he prepared for her, her stomach immediately made noises that betrayed her.

Cautiously making her way to the couch she had woken up to, she kept a wary gaze at the man who kept on preparing her food on the coffee table. She sat on the comfy couch and placed her backpack next to her. In front of her sat a mouth-watering strawberry shortcake and some Earl Grey tea.

Quillish Wammy sat at a nearby chair waiting patiently for the young girl. This didn't came unnoticed to the blue-eyed brunette. "So, old man or should I start calling you something different?" She questioned, earning herself a hearty laugh. "This," referring to the dessert on her fork near her drooling mouth. "isn't poisonous or drugged, right?"

"You can call me _'Watari'_ and no, that isn't drugged."

"Or poisonous?"

"Or poisonous." He confirmed, smiling genuinely at the young girl.

Looking doubtful, she cautiously placed the food inside her mouth however, once she tasted the delightful sweet, her soul immediately went to heaven. Eyes sparkling, she ginned ear-to-ear. "Wow." She whispered with glee. "This is amazing!" And again, she heard the hearty laugh of the white haired man.

Clearing her throat, her demeanor instantly changed to a serious one. "Mr. Watari, I really appreciate this lovely meal but I would like to have back _something_ that you took away from me."

He nodded understanding her request, more like her demand. "I would give it back to you but can I ask you some questions?"

She contemplated with furrowed brows yet nodded. "Shoot."

"Why do you have a gun with you, little girl?"

Already expecting that question, she grinned. "It's none of your business, isn't it, old man?"

Sighing, Watari moved on to his next question as the brunette took another piece off the shortcake. "Where'd you come from?"

"That is also none of your business."

Feeling exhausted, he tried once more. "What's your name?"

"I'm done!" She proclaimed as she stood up from her seat. She faced Watari and grinned. "Thank you for the lovely dessert, Mr. Watari. I really appreciate it. I would love to stay and have a little chitchat with you but I have to be somewhere else. Also, if you don't really want to give me back my gun then, you can keep it."

She picked up her bag and made her way to the door. Twisting the knob and pushing the door open, she noticed a young raven haired boy hunching near the entrance. She inspected him; hair as black as the night sky just like his eyes, dark circles under his eyes and skin as pale as a ghost which was a huge contrast to his eyes and hair.

 _What a peculiar child._ She thought.

Glaring at the young boy who suddenly placed his thumb between his lips, she turned her back on him and began to walk yet suddenly stopping a meter away. "Where's the front door?"

Smiling, Watari accompanied the young brunette to the entryway followed by the young peculiar boy. As she saw the front door, she dashed to it and twisted the knob. Watari continued to follow her and when they arrived in front of the door, she turned to face them. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Mr. Watari and I'm very sorry for my attitude a while back then."

"It's alright, child." He answered back, holding the door for the little girl. "It was also nice meeting you."

Passing through the front door and being engulfed with the bright ray of sunshine, she felt a new spark of energy surged inside of her.

"Mr. Watari," She whispered, loud enough for the man addressed to hear her. "I don't have a name…" She turned back and at that moment, Watari clearly saw the hurt, the fear and the loneliness in her eyes but amongst all of those negative emotions, there was still a small ray of hope hidden in her eyes.

 _Already this broken for such a young age._ Watari thought, pitying the little girl in front of him.

"Good bye, Mr. Watari and thank you, once again." Then she left without even waiting for the old man's reply, dashing off to the street without a destination in mind.

After Watari closed and locked the door, he turned around; facing the raven haired boy. "So, what do you think, Master L?"

* * *

 **AN: Hey guyys! Jeuel here! So, I've been reading a ton of Death Note fanfictions and through my readings, I came up with my own story. It's really not that polished yet or detailed but with the help of my lovely friend, weirdismyname, we came up with somewhat a gist for the story. Also, I'm truly sorry for all the errors I've committed in this chapter; as you all know or may not know, English is not my first language. More so, tell me what you think about this chapter and all of your suggestions for the story plot is welcome with open arms.**

 **I had a hard time writing this chapter, maybe the succeeding ones as well, because I haven't _really_ introduced my OC, if you know what I mean.**

 **Anyway, even though I thought this chapter was quite boring, I still hope you enjoyed it.**

 **Jeuel out!**


	2. Lost & Found

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata. ****I only own the OC.**

* * *

 _ **2\. LOST & FOUND**_

"Hey, stop her!" a furious vendor screamed as she ran off with a few apples tucked under her arms, hugging it near her chest. "Stop that thief!"

Ignoring the roar of the angry vendor, she ran further away into the crowded street of the market; disappearing without a trace. While maneuvering her petite body over hundreds of shoppers and multiple stalls around the market place, she could not help but bump into some buyers and shops, scattering a few of their goods.

"Hey watch it, kid!"

"Watch where you're going, you brat!"

"Hey! Look at what you've done, kid!"

Shouts of annoyed shoppers and hateful stares of the vendors filled her senses, making her cringe in fury. Paying no mind to the fruits and other goods she knocked down, she continued to flee; evading the masses of people she began to resent. She took a quick turn and ran pass through a deserted alleyway. As she reached the other end, more shoppers emerged; making her stumbled back. Looking back at the narrow path, she took in the sight of nothing but dirt and two younger children –strays just like her.

Slowly making her way to the brick wall, she hunched her tiny body on the pavement, opposite of the other stray children. Leaning her back on the wall, she gradually felt the exhaustion of escaping and running away brought to her young body. Panting, she unconsciously took out the apples she stole; bright red and juicy ones.

Feeling her stomach rumbled, she hungrily bit the flesh of the apple; savoring the sweetness of the fresh fruit. It wasn't as delicious as the strawberry shortcake the old man she met gave her nor was it as extravagant but she really doesn't care. As long as she can fill her grumbling stomach, anything is edible for a homeless kid like her. Finishing the apple in her hand, she glanced the other three she had stolen; thinking of saving the last three for later however, as her gaze landed at the two children across her, she can clearly see in their eyes the desire to even just have a tiny bite of the red fruits.

Gripping the apples harder, she sighed; knowing the obvious and right action to do yet hesitating because of her own selfishness. The young girl glanced back up, noticing how the children flinched and averted their eyes. Their bodies were skinnier than her with so much dirt covering their flesh and clothes. She squinted her eyes, focusing her sight on the left shoulder of the younger stray. Eyes widening with shock, she realized that the purple spots on the kid's shoulder were bruises and surely, it was just recently etched there. These kids must have tried stealing some foods for their own but was caught and punished.

Averting her eyes at the shoppers walking by, she noted that some of them gazed at them with disgust like they were some scums dirtying the surface of the earth, others looked at them with pity yet they didn't do anything to help the three of them and most of the passersby were just ignoring their presence like they were nothing important, like they were ghosts.

 _Ghosts have even more presence than we do._ She thought sarcastically.

While heaving a sigh, she slowly lifted her aching body off the pavement she was sitting on. Noticing the hopeful gazes of the two children, she furrowed her brows. Seeing her eyebrows creased, one of the boys nervously lowered his head while the other just continued to stare at her; refusing to lose the staring match. As she was about to leave, she packed the stolen fruit in her bag and began her walk out of the dirty alley, leaving the boys behind.

After she disappeared into the main street, the older boy cautiously picked up the apples she left behind. Elbowing the younger lad next to him, he passed on the other apple for them to eat. When the shock written in the younger boy's face vanished and was replaced with a surprised smile, they eagerly devoured the juicy fruit; thankful to the girl who left them the apples.

Walking down the street, she glanced around her environment; noticing how some children would cry over lollipops, others would throw tantrum for not getting what they want and most would simply pout and act grumpy at their parents until they get what they desired, on the other hand, the parents continued to spoil and succumb to their greedy children's demands. For such young ages, these children already know how to manipulate the people around them.

 _How much of a crocodile will these kids be when they grow older?_ Her mind went back to the two boys in the narrow alley. They were thinner, shorter and definitely less healthy than the kids their age whom had everything they desired. She pitied them but most of all, she pities _herself_ for she sees herself in the two boys –depressed, hurt and all alone in this cruel world. The three of them didn't deserve a life like this; none of them did.

* * *

Later on the day when the sun began to set and the merchants prepared to close their stalls, the young brunette sneakily took some of their goods, once again stealing food to serve as dinner for the night. These have been continuing for days and nights as she tries to survive in this predatory world. After hurriedly filling her backpack with handful of apples and some oranges, she quietly sneaked off without the vendor noticing; rushing to the alley she left the two kids in.

Remembering the path, she immediately turned to the back street and reached the two boys. To her surprise, both of them were asleep; cuddling next to each other to fight off the cold atmosphere. Carefully making her way to the boys, she kneeled down, hoping not to create any sound that would disturb their deep slumber. With much caution, she slowly placed the apples and oranges on the pavement in front of them.

Smiling genuinely for the first time in days, she whispered. "Eat them well."

Standing up, she quietly hoisted her backpack on her shoulder when suddenly she heard a rustle behind her; making her snap her head around. Much to her shock, the older of the two boys was already awake, azure eyes met onyx ones. Being caught off guard, her blood unexpectedly crept up to her face; making her look like a bright red tomato.

Without either one of them wavering, they continued to stare at each other, refusing to lose the contest until the quiet boy spoke. "Thank you."

It was only two words yet for some reason, those two simple words brought tears in her eyes. Turning around to hide the moist covering her eyes, she waved back and rushed off; fleeing as she realized that all of them were so broken, so lost in this world and yet the only thing they ever wanted was to be found, to be cared and most of all, to be yet they knew how impossible it is to attain such an innocent request.

Unconsciously walking further in to the depths of the back street, she began to not recognize the environment around her which caused shivers to run down her spine. Turning back, she immediately regretted that decision for she did not even heed any thought on where she was going. As she walked through the path she assumed she came from, she strengthened her sense for anything that can lead her back to the main street.

After twisting to another corner, she caught the sound of voices. Rather than be glad, she immediately went running back to the street she just passed, alarm sent shockwaves through her bones. Unfortunately, she crashed into someone else, causing her body to stumble to the ground. On the other hand, the man she collided with only staggered; losing his balance from the sudden impact. After hitting the pavement with so much force, her azure eyes promptly scanned her surroundings. There on the ground were some items the man had just dropped. Catching a glimpse of white powder packed in small plastic bags, her eyes widened with shock.

 _D-Drugs?!_ She mentally shrieked, anxiety covering her from head to toe. _He's a drug dealer! I-I have to get out of here!_

Hastily backing away from the dangerous man, she immediately stood up and ran to the other direction. But before she could fully make her escape, she heard the voices once more. Not far from them were three more deadly-looking men; approaching them casually.

"Oh hey man! We were waiting for you."

"Do you have what we've asked for?"

As they continued to approach the two, the young girl slowly moved toward the wall, fear evident in her eyes. _Okay, think… They still haven't realized you're here._

Watching the four men interact, she noticed the man she collided with casually picking up the bags of drugs he dropped. She was so occupied with the sight of drugs and money exchanged when she accidentally kicked back an empty can of good. Hearing the strange noise, the four men followed the sound and found the young brunette shaking with horror while trying to blend in the background.

"Well, who are you little girl?" One of them asked as he predatorily approached the shaken brunette.

Quivering, she was readying herself to get away from that situation however, the drug dealers moved faster once they noticed her reaction. Encircling around her, they immediately blocked her path, making escape seem impossible.

"I-I'm sorry…" I said with a shaky voice. "I didn't mean to see that."

"We know, little girl." Another drug dealer replied. "But that's the thing, kid. You've seen too much and we can't afford to let anyone know about this."

Feeling the dreading ambience of her surroundings, she tried to sprint pass through the side of the less robust man however; with her short legs and malnourished body, she did not stood a chance. Taking a hold of her arms, they easily stopped her from leaving.

"Where do you think you're going, little girl?"

"Didn't we told you we can't just let you go?"

Struggling from the tight hold of her captors, tears began to reveal themselves, making her whimper as she pleaded for her freedom.

"Sorry, kid. We really didn't want you to get involved but you were at the wrong place, at the wrong time." He stated, no sympathy was heard in his apology. He turned back, ready to leave but before he disappeared from the young girl's sight, she heard him ordered, "Make sure to shut her mouth." Then, all she could remember was the pain she felt when something hard hit her stomach, the smell of knockout gas and the sound of men laughing.

* * *

Eyes fluttering, the young brunette slowly woke up from her deep slumber with a pain-aching head. She didn't know how long she had been asleep but the moment she opened her eyes, she tried to recall the happenings earlier that day however; the torturous pounding in her head prevented her from remembering anything. The moment she tried to move her arms was when she realized that her hands were tied together. Seeing the tight rope snaking around her wrists reminded her of the disaster she got herself into.

 _Shit!_ She struggled, trying to untangle the ropes binding her. _Where the fuck am I?!_

Looking around her surroundings, the view of wooden crates greeted her azure eyes. It probably contained more drugs than she could imagine. Lifting her body into a sitting position, she noticed that the room was empty of any other being.

 _Ok, calm down._ She thought, trying to smooth down her chaotic mind. _So, I'm currently tied in an empty-_ Her gaze landed on the crates full of drugs. _Ok, not-so-empty storage room. All alone. In the dark. With some nasty drugs._ She halted, grasping the situation at hand. _Drugs! I was kidnapped because I witnessed men trafficking drugs and now, I was brought to who-knows where this goddamn place is and now my hands and feet are tied together. Great… Just great!_

Struggling to free herself she sarcastically whispered to herself, "I wanted to be free and be able to take on the world but not like _this!_ " Getting frustrated and knowing that even with her full strength she won't be able to release her hands from the tight grip of the ropes, she gave up with a sigh. Looking at her tied wrists, she noted that her skin started to turn painfully red. Searching for a different method of escape, she scanned every nook and cranny of the dark cold room when suddenly a loud crash was heard from the other side of the wall.

She shrieked, panic immediately engulfing her. With shaking hands, she started lifting herself up even though her ankles were also tied together. She jumped around the room in search for a sharp object when unexpectedly, the glass window next to her shattered to pieces; shocking her and making her lose her balance in the process. Laying on the pavement next to the broken glasses, she ignored her nerves and instantly grabbed a piece of glass to use as an alternative knife.

While tearing the rope off her wrists and ankles, she heard constant shouting and multiple gunshots.

 _I have to get out of here!_ She concluded.

Taking the piece of glass with her, she rushed to the door, not caring if the sharp edges of the broken glass cut through her skin. Cautiously opening the door, she quietly left the storage room filled with drugs. Holding the glass tighter, she did not realize that blood have already started dripped down her palm. When she thought the hallway she was in was clear without a single living being present except her, she rushed to the end of the hall and made a sharp turn however, she was taken aback when she heard more gunshots.

After hearing all the noises, she hurried back the other way. Without even knowing the route out of the dreaded place. As sweat began to form on her forehead, she still continued to run and made a sudden turn at a corner without even checking if the coast was clear.

As she rushed through the corner, she collided with a muscled man, probably a member of the drug trafficking group. Landing on the pavement from the forceful impact, she was immediately consumed by despair. The instant she heard a clicking sound, she glanced up and saw the man held the trigger of his gun. Gripping the broken glass tighter, fear engulfed her –no, fear was the understatement of the century. She was _petrified_ to the ground!

 _Bang!_

Excruciating pain rushed through her right arm as she felt her red blood drip down her arm. Closing her eyes tightly, she whimpered, trying to overcome the throbbing of her wound.

"I should've just killed you in that alley so none of this would've happened." The man whispered threateningly. Loading the gun one more time, he pointed it at the forehead of the frozen girl. "Say good bye, kid."

However, before he could even pull the trigger, the once petrified girl tackled him to the ground and with the piece of glass in her hand, she stabbed him with it; surprising him in the process. Letting of the gun from sheer shock, her azure eyes followed it. Once it hit the ground, she pushed her body off the muscled man and rushed to the loaded gun. With the gun in her hands, she pulled the trigger, hitting the drug dealer with its bullets and ending his life.

Gasping for air, she couldn't believe what she had just done. For the second time in her life, she had killed a man.

 _But he deserved it._ She reasoned out. _If I haven't done that, many innocent lives will suffer so, it's ok. I didn't do anything wrong._ She convinced herself even though she was filled with so much doubt and guilt.

 _It's ok, I-I did the right thing._ She sobbed non-stop, all negative emotions overwhelmed her. Gripping the gun even tighter, she lifted her shaken body off the ground as she slowly approached the bloodied body near her. She placed the gun on the pool of blood of the drug dealer and whispered with a tear-stricken face, "I'm so sorry." And with that, she painfully dragged her feet to a door she assumed was the exit.

As she approached the door, she continued to grip the wound on her arm, squeezing it to prevent more blood from coming out. Once she reached the door, she opened it and was immediately blinded by the flashing lights of the police vehicles. For the first time in her whole life, she was ecstatic to see the men clad in uniforms. However, because of all the things that happened that day, her sleep-deprived, exhausted and wounded body gave up on her and as her eyes closed to welcome a deep slumber, the only thing that caught her sight were men rushing to her aid before finally losing consciousness.

* * *

 **AN: Hey guyys! Jeuel here! First of all, I want to say thank you to all the lovelies out there who took their time reading this story of mine. I am truly grateful to all of you especially to everyone who reviewed, followed, hit the favorite button and supported my story. Second, I want to apologize for posting this late (I have supposedly posted this chapter days earlier) but because of many reasons -mostly because of procrastination -I was only able to finish it today but don't worry, I will _try_ not to delay the next chapter. Also, a quick reminder, English is not my first language so I'm very sorry for all the errors I've committed in this chapter.**

 **Again, thank you very much and I hope you liked this chapter.**

 **See you soon! Jeuel out!**


	3. Oasis

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata. ****I only own the OC.**

* * *

 _ **3\. OASIS**_

 _"Mom?" She called out, azure eyes searching for her mother. Their house had been awfully quiet which was quite new for her since every time she arrives home, all she hears were the screaming and shouting of her parents; always fighting about money and even the most miniscule topics they don't agree with._

 _There was never a time where she can truly call her family –well, a_ family _. And she envied others for that because all she ever wanted for her parents was to stop fighting and for once, be able to be happy and care for each other; for them to love each one in every way and just be…_ whole _. What child wouldn't want that?_

 _And yet she knew her wishes were far from becoming a reality because the moment she reached out for the doorknob, she heard her mother's painful screech, her father's furious shouts and then, something hit the floor that caused it to break into million pieces. She stilled in her position, shuddering at the horrifying shrieks her dear mother made._

 _After waking up from her frightening reverie, she opened the door and bolted up the stairs to their room. Opening the door in haste, she shrieked; eyes filled with terror as she found her mother on the ground, red blood oozing out of her body, looking as terrified as her. In front of her mother's wounded body was her monstrous father, complete rage etched in his face._

 _Noticing the young girl by the door frame, her mother's eyes widened in horror. "Louisa, run!" She ordered. "Get out of here!"_

 _But Louisa didn't even move an inch; she wasn't able to process her mother's instructions for she was petrified to her spot as she continued to stare at her mother's wounds. How can her father do this to them? Why- Why does he hate them so much? She knew, ever since she was younger, that her father couldn't care less about her or her beloved mother's existence because all he ever cared about was money, gambling and all the booze he could intake. But she just wanted to know, why? Why doesn't he care? Why doesn't he love them?_

 _They, his family,_ weren't _his first priority and never were._

 _Waking up from her contemplation, her attention was immediately drawn to her father; moving dangerously slow across the room to meet her. She wanted to run; to escape just like what her mother wanted her to do yet, when she tried lifting her feet off the ground, she just couldn't. Her body was glued to the floor, not able to move from her position. She was scared –no, scared was such an understatement; she was terrified. Terrified of her father, of what had happened, of what more could happen._

 _"Louisa!" Her mother screamed again, alerting her one more time._

 _She turned around, ready to make a dash but before she could even shift her body, strong hands grabbed her shirt, preventing her from leaving._

 _"Where do you think you're going, Louisa?" Her father rhetorically asked, his face dangerously close to hers. She couldn't speak; more like she was forced to stop from uttering a single word, from disobeying her father._

 _"You are such a useless child." He began, shoving her to the ground. "You should have never been born!" In that moment, time stopped as he pulled out a gun from his pocket; pointing it to the petrified girl on the floor._

 _"Die, brat." He locked his forefinger on the trigger as Louisa hyperventilated; readying herself for the incoming bullet. However, her mother rushed to them and tackled her husband, just in time to prevent him from killing their one and only child._

 _"Stop it!" She screamed, hurling herself at the man. "Stop hurting her!"_

 _However, the man was stronger. He elbowed his wife on the stomach, not caring if he had broken some of her bones. He shoved her into the room and clutched a handful of her hair, making her tilt her head in an awkward angle. "Both of you should just die." He said menacingly._

 _In that instant, Louisa rushed and grabbed her father; encircling her short arms around his torso, trying to stop his dangerous actions. After huffing with anger, he threw her to the ground with much easy and finally pointed the gun at his petrified wife._

" _Please don't do this." Her mother begged as tears continued to stream down her face. But with such an unforgiving look on her father's face, he pointed the gun at her once again. At that moment, she already knew what was coming; what was going to happen. She wanted to stop him, to save her mother. But what can a little girl do? What can_ she _do?_

 _She was_ powerless _… and she knew it._

 _There on the ground, she sat, completely helpless as she watched her own father pulled the trigger and ended her dear mother's life. Tears began to fall from her eyes at the same time the bloodied body of her mother descended to the ground; lifeless as it can be. She wanted to run away, to save her own life yet she stayed on the floor; crying and begging that all of this was just a stupid nightmare, wishing that sooner or later, she will wake up and be greeted by her mother's lovely smile._

 _The second she heard the wooden plank made a noise, she immediately gazed up and saw her father moving towards her with a dangerous intent gleaming in his eyes. With eyes growing larger by the second, she searched for help but her sight only landed at the body of her mother surrounded by her own blood._

" _M-Mom…" She whispered as tears began to drop from her red aching eyes._

 _Looking back at her father, her fear slowly disappeared and was replaced by an ever growing hatred. She clenched her fists as gradually lifted her body off the cold pavement. With burning desire to fight back, she stared hatefully at her father; an aura of revenge oozing out of her._

" _How dare you?" She muttered, rage evident in her every word. "How dare you kill my mother?!" She growled as she dashed to her father and attacked him; sending both of them to the ground. "You fucking bastard!"_

 _She continued to punch him with her little fists, screaming and cursing her own father._

 _Getting irritated by being on the defensive side, the older man grabbed a handful of her hair, making Louisa cry in pain. However, in retaliation to her father, she punched him hard in the face and bit the hand that held the gun which made her father loosen both of his grip on her hair and on the gun._

" _You fucking brat!" Her father screeched in pain._

 _The moment he loosened his grip on the gun, she scrambled to her feet and rushed for the gun. With an aching heart yet furious mind, she pointed the gun at her standing father._

" _Y-You're a monster!" She stuttered, eyes brimming with tears. "You killed mom!" Then she pulled the trigger, sending bullets in her father's way._

 _She pulled the trigger once? Twice? Three times? She didn't really remember nor did she care for vengeance was the only thing in her mind. She watched as the body of her father slowly crashed to the floor and that's when everything hit her. She had just killed someone. She had just murdered her own father, her own blood._

" _Holy shit!"_

" _Holy shit, indeed." She heard someone spoke. Looking around the quiet room, she searched for the source of voice yet she saw no one until she noticed the moving body of her supposedly dead father. "H-How could you, Louisa? How could you do this to your own father?"_

 _Dropping the gun to the floor, pure shock was completely written on her face. She couldn't believe it. How could someone shot to death, be able to speak, more so, move his wounded body? She slowly backed away from her crawling father and shrieked when she felt a cold hand grabbed her ankle._

" _What the-!" Louisa screeched, panic engulfing her. When she looked down on the floor, she gasped as her eyes began to grow. There on the ground was the drug dealer who kidnapped her; the one whom she had killed._

" _W-Why did you kill me, Louisa? Why?" He asked as his grip tightened, hurting Louisa in the process. She disregarded the fact that the man knew her name even though they are complete strangers. She tried to forcefully wriggle her ankle out of his deadly grasp yet no matter how much she tried, she just couldn't._

" _H-Help!" She screamed, scared for her dear life. "Help me, please!"_

" _Nobody's coming to help you, Louisa." She heard her father speak, realizing the he was already encircling his hands around her fragile neck. "And we will drag you to hell with us!"_

" _No! Stop it! Don't!"_

* * *

"Miss, wake up!"

"Miss Louisa, wake up!"

"Miss Louisa!"

At the call of her name, her eyes burst open, tears clear at the sides of her eyes. It was only a nightmare; a very terrible nightmare yet she also felt like it wasn't. Like she was slowly haunted by the two men she had killed. After all, the moment she released the bullets, she was already dubbed as a murderer.

She looked around, trying to familiarize herself with her surroundings. She was inside a room with white cold walls, the scent of disinfectant evident in the environment and the sound of beeping can be heard around her. Her eyes gradually darted at the people around her, they were clad in white uniforms and were talking in hush voices.

 _Where am I?_ She thought as she lazily twisted her head to the side.

As she gradually regained back her vision, her sight landed at the old man sitting at the far corner of the room, waiting patiently for the doctor and nurses to end their discussion. The moment she recognized his white hair and black tuxedo, the corners of her lips began to curve up.

"H-Hello, Mr. W-Watari." She greeted with a hoarse voice; she clearly felt the dryness of her throat. The second they heard her voice, the occupants of the room immediately surrounded her; doing checkups and helping her become more comfortable in her hospital bed.

After they made their rounds and usual checkups, they went to speak with Quillish Wammy. Louisa tried to hear whatever they were discussing however, she couldn't because all her senses weren't as sharp as they should be. After a couple of minutes, the doctor and nurses left her room, leaving Quillish and Louisa alone in her quarters.

"Hello, my dear." He greeted as he moved across the room to her bed. He sat on a chair beside her bed and smiled. "I'm glad you're finally awake, Louisa."

At the sound of her voice, her smile immediately slipped and a frown was form in her exhausted face. "Who _exactly_ are you, Mr. Watari? Or is that even your real name?" All the fondness for the old man suddenly disappeared and was replaced with cautiousness as she slowly tried to sat up.

After everything that had happened to her in the past weeks, she decided that she would never trust people so easily however, she wanted to believe that the old man who called himself _'Watari'_ was different; that he wasn't like the other crocodiles in the world. She wanted to trust him but the moment he uttered her name, when she clearly didn't tell him that, she became more guarded than ever.

" _Mr. Watari_ ," She began, every word was like venom coming out of her mouth. Not once did she disliked the old man, the truth is, she really liked him. He was nice, caring and a bit mysterious but it was alright. If she had a grandfather, which she technically had but clearly had never met, she wished that he would be exactly like him. But the second he uttered one of her deepest secrets, everything changed. "how did you know _my name_?"

Smiling, Quillish Wammy began, "My dear Louisa Berkeley, you should take some more rest."

When she was about to protest, a sharp pain suddenly stung her right arm. Grumbling a little bit, she tried clutching her arm. And that's when she finally noticed the wound in her arm and palm. Recalling what happened to her and her _adventurous escapade_ , she cringed.

"How long was I asleep?"

"Two days, my dear." He answered. "The police found you escaping from the drug dealer's hide out, wounded and bloodied and immediately brought you to the hospital." He explained.

She only nodded and listened some more, completely transfixed at the sight of the setting sun. The sky was filled with arrays of colors -blue, red, violet, orange and even pink. It was stunning, she concluded.

After a moment of silence, she spoke. "What will happen to me, Mr. Watari?"

Rather than answering promptly, he laughed, making Louisa snapped her head and frown at his direction. "You don't have to worry about that, Louisa. All you need to do for now is sleep and take some rest."

Deepening her frown, she replied back. "First of all, why wouldn't I worry if it concerns _me_?" She made a good point which did not ceased to amaze Quillish Wammy even more. She was like a wolf; a "wild dog" that many others think they could tame however, wolves and dogs may do share many biological traits but, wolves are still wild animals that should be treated as such. She was so similar to a wolf. She was sharp, cautious around everyone she didn't trust, bite anyone who crosses her but most of all, she's so powerful in her own way -even though she hasn't figure it out yet, so _untamable_. "Second, you haven't even answered most of my questions, _Mr. Watari_."

"In time, my dear." He answered, once again avoiding her queries. "But I will assure you, you will be in good hands."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because you will be living with me in the Wammy's House."

* * *

Since she moved to the Wammy's House, Quillish Wammy -she finally knew his real name yet he asked her to call him _'Watari'_ instead, especially when they're not alone -asked her to stop using her real name and use an alias instead, for safety precautions. Trusting him, she agreed to do so. So rather than using her name _'Louisa Berkeley'_ , she went with _'Skye'_ ; a combination of her first and last name.

The moment she arrived in the orphanage, she had never thought she would be able to live in a place with a proper roof over her head nor a fully stuffed kitchen but most of all, she never thought of having a father-figure like Quillish Wammy by her side.

When she was still in the hospital, he visited her every day and not once did he forgot to bring her those delightful strawberry shortcakes. Her cautiousness slowly but surely diminished and turned back into fondness. She adored the old man whether she liked to admit it or not. So the moment she finally got release from the hospital, she practically jumped out of excitement.

Now in the large kitchen of the orphanage, she sat on the bar stool while eating a blueberry shortcake. "Mr. Wammy," she called, grabbing the attention of the white-haired man. "where's the weird boy the other time I came here?"

Laughing heartily, Watari finally remembered that since the day she came to live with them in the Wammy's House, not once did L left his room; too busy solving cases. Handing her a tray of strawberry shortcake, a cup with saucer and some Earl Grey tea, he asked her to bring this to the room where L was supposed to be in.

With nothing else better to do, she agreed and made her way up the stairs to the second floor. On the end of the long hallway, she spotted the door and quickly opened it once she reached the door. Upon opening it, she noticed how dark the room was, the only light source was the huge computer at the corner of the room. She approached a small table at the corner and placed the tray as quietly as she could.

Glancing around the room, she noticed the weird boy, the same boy she met on her accidental encounter in the Wammy's House. Moving towards him as silently as possible, she let her fingertips graze the smooth wooden table when suddenly her fingers bumped into some file, almost sending its contents to the ground.

As she gathered the papers, her eyes widened for she saw the same face that haunted her in her dreams, the face of the drug dealer that kidnapped her, the same guy she took the gun from and most of all, the man she killed with her own hands. While scanning the contents of the file, she heard the boy spoke, "Skye, would you kindly get me my tea and cake?"

Flabbergasted by the young boy, Skye continued to stare at him as he continued to eye the bright screen in front of him. A couple seconds later, Skye woke up from her shock. "You know my name but I don't know yours."

"I am L." He answered nonchalantly; too busy to look away from the computer screen.

"…L?" _Well, that's a creative name._ She thought, sarcastic dripping in her every word. After a minute of complete silence entered before them, Skye finally said a word. "You were the one to solve the drug trafficking case?" It wasn't really a question but more likely an observation. She was very cautious, he noted, like she was testing an unfamiliar water. "And you let them rot in jail…"

In that moment, L understood why Watari took quite the liking for the young girl. She was perceptive beyond her age -not as perceptive as he was but nonetheless, _sharp_.

"Why didn't you just kill them?" That definitely took L by surprise. How come a young girl his age could think of such methods? Whirling around his chair to finally making eye contact with her -blue ones meeting his onyx orbs, he suddenly recognized the file of the drug trafficking case she was involved in, in her grasps. "You should've just killed them, you know."

Placing his thumb between his lips, he replied while analyzing the young girl before him. "I didn't think it was necessary."

"Yeah but most people would." _I would_. Staring intently at him, Skye continued to search him yet to her disappointment, she just couldn't find anything on him. He's concealing skills were topnotch that she couldn't even break his walls; his defense was so high, so thick for anyone to crack. "Once they get out of prison, who knows what they would do. Who knows if they would simply return back to their old norms. So, wouldn't it be easier to just eliminate the evil in this world?"

L wasn't quite sure if she was truly pertaining to the drug dealers or her own self. But the moment he gazed at her eyes, what he saw amused him. She was obviously scared yet she stood her ground, she was guilty of her own actions -he concluded that she may have done a wrong deed somewhere in the past -yet her words held so much hope that she and many others could change and most of all, her way of justice was, in some way, a little twisted yet he was certain that there was no evil present in it.

It was like she was asking him for a new beginning; asking him to let her start anew.

Turning back to face the screen, L muttered, loud enough for Skye to hear. "The world is full of monsters… yet, even those monsters can change if only people would give them a chance."

And at that, a single tear left Skye's eye, shock completely written in her face. Then she smiled, realizing that the young boy, who calls himself _'L'_ , had just given her a chance to begin again.

Not once did she believe that she could find a new home, a new family, especially not with an old white-haired man and a weird eccentric young boy but, they definitely proved her wrong.

She has now, finally, found her _oasis_ amidst the never-ending desert.

* * *

 **AN: Hey guyys! Jeuel here! First of all, I would like to say my thanks to all the readers out there who followed, hit the favorite button, reviewed and took their time reading this fanfiction of mine. I really, really appreciate it. Second, I changed the title of this fanfiction of mine from _'Through the Rain'_ to _'Wounded'_ because I felt like the latter title was more impactful, if that made sense. Also, I think that the _'Wounded'_ title describes L and Skye better, in more ways than one. Third, the name _'Louisa Berkeley'_ came to me when I was spending time with my younger sibling. Her name is nearly similar to my OC's and I think it sounded nice so, I used her name as a reference. Also the last name _'Berkeley'_ was taken from my sketchpad sitting next to my laptop so, my OC's name is the combination of my sister's name and my sketchpad. Weird, right? Also about her alias 'Skye', well, let's just say that I really like the name and coincidentally, it matches!**

 **Lastly, I would like to remind my lovely readers that English is not my first language so I'm very sorry for all the grammatical errors and mistakes.**

 **Again, thank you very much for taking the time to read my story and I hope you like it!**

 **See you soon! Jeuel out!**


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